2019 MAC Preseason Poll

[mbenecke]

The MAC released the 2019 preseason poll this morning, and the results were as follows:

EAST:

1. Ohio
2. Miami
3. Buffalo
4. Kent State
5. Akron
6. Bowling Green

WEST

1. Toledo
2. Western Michigan
3. Northern Illinois
4. Eastern Michigan
5. Ball State
6. Central Michigan

[BillyLP]

The MAC released the 2019 preseason poll this morning, and the results were as follows:

EAST:

1. Ohio
2. Miami
3. Buffalo
4. Kent State
5. Akron
6. Bowling Green

WEST

1. Toledo
2. Western Michigan
3. Northern Illinois
4. Eastern Michigan
5. Ball State
6. Central Michigan

A little surprised that Miami and Buffalo aren't flipped, but other than that, no real surprises for me. I think Bowling Green will be a much better team this year and easier to watch, but that doesn't necessarily mean more wins in year 1. The MAC West is a hell of a division. 1-4 are all very solid teams.

[footballguy51]

The MAC released the 2019 preseason poll this morning, and the results were as follows:

EAST:

1. Ohio
2. Miami
3. Buffalo
4. Kent State
5. Akron
6. Bowling Green

WEST

1. Toledo
2. Western Michigan
3. Northern Illinois
4. Eastern Michigan
5. Ball State
6. Central Michigan

A little surprised that Miami and Buffalo aren't flipped, but other than that, no real surprises for me. I think Bowling Green will be a much better team this year and easier to watch, but that doesn't necessarily mean more wins in year 1. The MAC West is a hell of a division. 1-4 are all very solid teams.

Who thought you would ever call EMU a solid team?

[MarkL]

Just listened to Coach Loeffler's interview at MAC media day with Scott Walker. How refreshing it is to hear some football again. He had lots good to say about installing the schemes and players buying in. And so much good about Konawalski and Clair.

[MarkL]

And now I listened to Loeffler's media interview. Some takeaways ...
- my God we have a good one. Everything about Loeffler sounds right
- he said the coaches are in place to run a power offense like Michigan or a spread like OSU. Wow do I love not being a one trick pony
- no mention of McDonald or Veasley. Per Loeffler, Grant Loy is looking like the guy and he has been progressing very nicely.

That last one took me by surprise.

MAC media day has come and gone. Time for football.

[BillyLP]

And now I listened to Loeffler's media interview. Some takeaways ...
- my God we have a good one. Everything about Loeffler sounds right
- he said the coaches are in place to run a power offense like Michigan or a spread like OSU. Wow do I love not being a one trick pony
- no mention of McDonald or Veasley. Per Loeffler, Grant Loy is looking like the guy and he has been progressing very nicely.

That last one took me by surprise.

MAC media day has come and gone. Time for football.

I saw where Loeffler mentioned he can't comment on McDonald and that the decision is likely weeks away. I'm fine with Loy at this point. He has the right physical tools, and the right coach to make his skill set serviceable. I wish Veasley would have shaped up a little better, because his arm strength seems pretty enviable.

[fredthefalcon]

Looking at the voting, I found something odd. CMU was voted last in the West and in fact had a one point lower vote total than BG. But what was really strange was that one of the 24 voters picked them to be MAC Champs.

[Falconfreak90]

Looking at the voting, I found something odd. CMU was voted last in the West and in fact had a one point lower vote total than BG. But what was really strange was that one of the 24 voters picked them to be MAC Champs.

I seem to recall that happening before. At team picked last in a division but winning the MAC? How can that happen if they finish last? lol!

I don't care about the poll. This staff will have us much better prepared and moving forward.

[Beaker]

Haven't been on the site for awhile. Jumped on today to see the pre-season picks and see BG at the bottom and Turdledo at the top. Very cringe worthy, but we know we will be taking our lumps again for a while to come. Just hope to see a team that plays with discipline, mental focus and full effort, which is not what we've seen in recent years. We will be woefully out manned, but I think we should be able to tell by some point in this season if Coach L has the team turning in the right direction, based on the kind of factors I mentioned, rather than the win loss record. At least now I feel like I have a little more motivation to want to watch this team than in recent years.

[Antimob]

Haven't been on the site for awhile. Jumped on today to see the pre-season picks and see BG at the bottom and Turdledo at the top. Very cringe worthy, but we know we will be taking our lumps again for a while to come. Just hope to see a team that plays with discipline, mental focus and full effort, which is not what we've seen in recent years. We will be woefully out manned, but I think we should be able to tell by some point in this season if Coach L has the team turning in the right direction, based on the kind of factors I mentioned, rather than the win loss record. At least now I feel like I have a little more motivation to want to watch this team than in recent years.

My feelings as well. This year is about competing and keeping the recruiting class together for next year. It's a little scary when you're 127 out of 129th in rushing defense and actually lost personnel in the middle. It's still shocking that we didn't look at the junior college route whatsoever in terms of the defensive line but having Perce in the middle might help to stabilize things.

Loeffler is wisely following the Clawson model and it will work if given time, even if it means absorbing a 1-11 type season. The key is to keep the recruiting momentum going and keep the players bought in to the new regime for the long term.

Toledo wins because they consistently recruit talent and play easy non-conference schedules which gets momentum rolling for them early that they maintain. There's absolutely no reason we can't do the same thing other than our own unwillingness.

[Schadenfreude]

Toledo wins because they consistently recruit talent and play easy non-conference schedules which gets momentum rolling for them early that they maintain.

Scheduling has nothing to do with this. The best team we ever had here played two ranked Big Ten teams in September.

[MarkL]

Veasley entering the transfer portal would explain why he wasn't mentioned at the media day.

[Antimob]

Toledo wins because they consistently recruit talent and play easy non-conference schedules which gets momentum rolling for them early that they maintain.

Scheduling has nothing to do with this. The best team we ever had here played two ranked Big Ten teams in September.

Au contraire. If you're referring to 2003 (a non MAC championship season, which wouldn't qualify them as the best) they did play those teams. They also played Eastern Kentucky (66-13 win) and Liberty (62-3) in between.

Even still, that's one example. I contend games such as 77-10 vs. Ohio State, 49-7 vs. Northwestern, 58-24 vs. Oregon, 68-17 vs. Wisconsin, 37-0 vs. Virginia Tech (after already opening in Florida at the Swamp), 55-10 vs. West Virginia, 65-21 vs. Michigan, etc occur with far greater frequency and do far more significant, lasting damage to establishing the positive momentum the team needs to carry over into conference play.

Play one if you must, but the self-imposed stupidity of playing multiple games like this in a year and rerunning the same bad movie over and over is akin to sabotage. The program needs a realistic chance to succeed.

[daspollak]

Toledo wins because they consistently recruit talent and play easy non-conference schedules which gets momentum rolling for them early that they maintain.

Scheduling has nothing to do with this. The best team we ever had here played two ranked Big Ten teams in September.

That team was stacked and a blast to watch on the field. Shame they had to run into a Big Ben team in the championship game (and during the season.) More talent than the teams that won the MAC, but didn't get it done at the end of the day. Also the only team in my memory to be ranked at the end of the season.

[FalconTurf]

Toledo wins because they consistently recruit talent and play easy non-conference schedules which gets momentum rolling for them early that they maintain.

Scheduling has nothing to do with this. The best team we ever had here played two ranked Big Ten teams in September.

That team was stacked and a blast to watch on the field. Shame they had to run into a Big Ben team in the championship game (and during the season.) More talent than the teams that won the MAC, but didn't get it done at the end of the day. Also the only team in my memory to be ranked at the end of the season.

Ranked because they played a challenging schedule. The perfect storm - great team lines up with challenging schedule. Because football schedules so far out this can lead to disaster as well. For those of us that pay attention to mid-major college athletics, we understand.